FRONTINO GOLD CRACKS HIS MAIDEN

Click above to watch Frontino Gold winning his maiden…
(Image : JC Photos - Footage : Tellytrack)

FRONTINO GOLD (AUS)
Hussonet (USA) - Don’t Stop Talking (AUS)

FRONTINO GOLD (AUS)
Hussonet (USA) - Don’t Stop Talking (AUS) by Ahnoora (GB)
3 Year Old Bay Colt

Owners : Mrs Ingrid and Mr Markus Jooste
Trainer : Mike de Kock
Jockey : Weichong Marwing
Breeder : Arrowfield Pastoral Pty Ltd, NSW
Win Time : 88.50
Career Record : 1 Win, 3 Places, 4 Starts

FRONTINO GOLD is a graduate from the Summerhill draft of the 2010 Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale.

Betting World Algoa Cup 23 October Maiden Plate
Turffontein, Turf, 1450m
8 October 2011

RACE RESULT

#	LBH	Horse	Kg	MR	Dr	Jockey	Trainer
1	0.00	FRONTINO GOLD (AUS)	58.0	80	1	W Marwing	Mike de Kock
2	1.25	STROLLER (ZIM)	58.0	0	2	A Delpech	Ormond Ferraris
3	4.75	JANUS MAN	58.0	80	9	C Little	Alec Laird
4	5.50	CROWN HEIGHTS (AUS)	60.0	66	5	P Strydom	Sean Tarry
5	6.75	SCIENTIST	60.0	61	3	* N Qaule (2.5)	David Niewenhuizen
6	13.25	SILVER MODEL	60.0	0	4	M Yeni	Gavin van Zyl
7	19.25	FABOOLOSITY	58.0	73	7	M Mienie	Paul Matchett
8	20.75	UNDER OATH	58.0	0	8	R Simons	Grant Maroun
9	27.00	INVICTUS	58.0	0	10	G Lerena	Spike Lerena
10	28.50	MYTHICAL MUSIC	60.0	0	6	G Wrogemann	Lance Wiid

For more information please visit :
www.summerhill.co.za

GOLD CUP DAY : Links to Victory

Battlestar Express with Karen Anthony and Weichong Marwing
(Gold Circle)

The arrival of new life on Summerhill has heralded the start of a new racing season and our runners on Canon Gold Cup day, yesterday at Greyville, chalked up a tally of impressive performances.

Megan Romeyn writes that the diminutive Battlestar Express was first up in the Umngeni Handicap (L) over 1000m. This talented son of Summerhill super sire, Muhtafal won a fast paced race, adding one more to his growing list of victories. Jumping well he kept a good pace with the rest of the field before being guided up a notch by the highly skilled Weichong Marwing, kicking for home with 200m to go and winning by half a length from the fast finishing King James.

However, the excitement of the Battlestar Express win was somewhat eclipsed when Desert Links, the five year old gelding by Summerhill sire, Kahal, out of Selborne Park, stepped up to the plate in the feature race, the R1.2 million Canon Gold Cup (Gr.1) run over 3200m.

Ridden by jockey Greg Cheyne, who is hinting at the best season of his career, Desert Links was kept comfortably off the pace in 8^th position, seemingly content to roll along, advancing steadily. At the 400m mark, Greg Cheyne asked the big question, only to be answered with a phenomenal turn of acceleration, with Desert Links snatching the lead from Prince Asad.  Showing remarkable staying power Desert Links fended off a fighting Membrado, a scrambling Omaha Beach and a chase of three horses including Equal Image, Magical Ballad and Ser De Carrera, to win by almost a length.

An elated Basil Marcus, who trained Desert Links to perfection, was on hand with owners Etienne Braun and Paul Loomes to share in the celebrations. Basil also paid tribute to his brother Selwyn Marcus who has a share in Desert Links along with Eban Bouwer, both of whom were not present to enjoy the trackside jubilation. Basil Marcus has always thought very highly of Desert Links and couldn’t have put it better when he said “He’s a really decent horse and I was very confident. Last season in KwaZulu Natal he raced four times, won three and was second in the Derby. He’s a super horse”.

As if the day’s racing couldn’t get any better for the Summerhill contingent, Keats Drift, the Summerhill-bred son of National Emblem, raced to an impressive victory in the Betting World Pinnacle Plate over 1900m. Under the tutelage of the experienced Anton Marcus, Keats Drift settled towards the rear of the field before moving up steadily to strike at the 300m mark, powering away to hit the line for a comfortably win.

In the other races of the day, it was a case of “oh so close” for two of Muhtafal’s offspring. In the Gold Bracelet (Gr2) over 2000m Outcome, the supremely talented daughter of Muhtafal and recent winner of the Garden Province Stakes (Gr.1), was denied victory by a strong finishing Gilded Minaret. Outcome continues to impress and has shown again that Greyville is definitely to her liking.

Then the boss, who was still reveling in the victory of Desert Links, cast his learned eye over the field for the Canon Digital Imaging Open Handicap over 1600m, and confidently predicted that Modern Monet would take the laurels. And that he did, driving home from the lunging son of Muhtafal, El Padrino, and Fork Lightening. 

Another special moment for Summerhill was when one of our team members, Velaphi Mbanjwa, proved his knowledge of form, and in so doing won tote vouchers to the value of R15 000 courtesy of Canon. Well done Velaphi, we are all so thrilled for you.

It's all about hard work and guts.

Battlestar Express, Weichong Marwing and Karen Anthony
(Gold Circle)

 
MEGAN ROMEYN - Clairwood on Saturday saw another day at the office for the Summerhill runners with some cracking performances.

In the 5^th race on the card, the Merit Rated 82 Handicap over 1000m, Battlestar Express, under the guidance of champion jockey Weichong Marwing, held on to win a thriller. This gutsy and talented son of Summerhill sire, Muhtafal, out of the National Assembly mare, National Empress, maintained a steady pace before making his move with 200m to go, running on to record his 3^rd victory from the fast finishing Captivating Party and Jolly Jolly. What made this win all the more impressive was that Battlestar Express was shouldering a huge 61kgs, quite a task for a horse of his small stature.

The latter races on the card also produced some thrillers, with two Ready to Run graduates, both sons of Summerhill sire Kahal, being denied the laurels by desperately close margins. First up was the Darley Arabian Open (Listed) for 3 year olds over 1900m. Sheikh Mohammed’s talented Art Of War was shaded by a nose by Winter Fever in a thrilling tussle. Under jockey Kevin Shea, Art Of War kept up a good pace throughout the race and took up the challenge with 300m to go. He seemed to have the race sewn up after disposing of the dangerous El Padrino. However, Winter Fever had other ideas, and stuck his nose ahead of Art of War and Smart Banker to win by the narrowest of margins.

Next up saw 2005 Ready to Run graduate, Tap Tap, being denied almost certain victory in the Thukela Merit Rated Handicap (Listed) over 1600m. After working his way steadily through the field, and from within the last furlong, Tap Tap, under champion jockey Johnny Geroudis, made his final charge for the line, but it was Scrutinize who held on to take a closely contested victory.

RIVER JETEZ edges CATMANDU half a nose in Astrapak 1900 nailbiter

(skyline pictures)

For the second consecutive year, the Astrapak 1900 produced a nailbiting finish, with  top filly River Jetez denying the flying Catmandu by the narrowest of margins, giving brilliant jockey, Weichong Marwing, his fifth winner of the evening.  Wonder Lawn and Silver Mist finished close proximity to complete the placings.

SA Horseracing reports that River Jetez raced in about seventh place early on and had a dream run on the fence for much of the race as Wonder Lawn went out to dictate matters ahead of Silverpoint, Jagged Ice, Floatyourboat, Equal Image, Apple-A-Day and Hilgrove. Hunting Tower, Appelate Court and Rudra were further back with Catmandu held up about a dozen lengths off the pace and Silver Mist and Run Angel Run bringing up the rear.

Wonder Lawn stuck doggedly to his task once he had brought the field in for home as challenges started to mount from all sides, with River Jetez making up ground smartly down the inside with Floatyourboat and, wider out, Hunting Tower looking briefly dangerous.

Wonder Lawn’s supporters had cause to hope for an pillar-to-post victory 200m out as he was still keeping the pack at bay but River Jetez was grinding him down remorselessly. Even as she mastered the pacemaker, though, Catmandu caught fire and unleashed a devastating late run which looked as if it might carry him through. However, he was a fraction too late and River Jetez had done enough to clinch a gutsy victory.

There is a lot to like about the winner. She has had a hard act to follow in the form of her big brother Pocket Power, but she has quietly established herself as a more than useful performer in her own right. Like her more accomplished sibling, she is at home over a range of distances and to all intents and purposes, she has yet to run a bad race in 15 starts. Whether this form is strong enough to cause any ripples in the Vodacom Durban July itself is another story, but for now her connections and sit back and savour a second big-race win for her, following her victory in last year’s KZN Oaks.

Catmandu, who is a 2005 graduate of Summerhill Stud’s Ready to Run programme, ran a tremendous race in defeat and the 4,5kg he was conceding to the winner was surely decisive in the end. As is now customary, he produced a powerful finishing kick and was only beaten on the nod of heads. It will be interesting to see what weight he is allotted in the July: a few months ago, one might have laughed at the thought, but he is proving to be an absolutely genuine performer who has now turned in three good efforts at Gr 1 or Gr 2 level and if he maintains this level of form, it would be no surprise to see him make the frame in the country’s biggest race.

Congratulations must go the breeders of River Jetez, Out Of Africa Stud, as well as her co-owners Marsh Shirtliff and Mr & Mrs C A Amm and her trainer, Mike Bass.

Race 9 - R300K - ASTRAPAK 1900 (Grade 2) Merit Rated Handicap - 1900m
No	Horse	Jockey	Al/Bl	Kg	Dr	Fin	Dist	Time
14	RIVER JETEZ	Weichong Marwing	A -	53.5	2	1	0.00	116.40
3	CATMANDU	Stuart Randolph	A -	58.0	5	2	0.05	116.41
10	WONDER LAWN	M J Byleveld	A -	55.5	11	3	0.30	116.46
7	SILVER MIST	Andrew Fortune	A -	57.5	18	4	1.55	116.69
12	APPLE-A-DAY	Gavin Lerena	A -	53.5	6	5	1.80	116.74
1	FLOATYOURBOAT	Karl Neisius	A -	60.0	8	6	1.90	116.76
2	HUNTING TOWER	Anton Marcus	A -	60.0	3	7	2.05	116.78
15	RUDRA	Anthony Delpech	A -	52.5	13	8	2.10	116.79
11	SILVERPOINT (AUS)	Brett Smith	A -	54.5	4	9	2.20	116.81
8	HILGROVE	Sean Cormack	A -	56.5	12	10	2.35	116.84
9	OUTCOME	Robbie Hill	A B	55.5	15	11	2.60	116.89
13	OLYMPIC GOLD	Raymond Danielson	A -	53.5	16	12	2.70	116.91
4	EQUAL IMAGE (ARG)	Francois Herholdt	A P	58.0	17	13	2.95	116.95
6	APPELATE COURT	Richard Fourie	A -	57.5	7	14	3.20	117.00
5	JAGGED ICE	Bernard Fayd’Herbe	A B	58.0	10	15	4.70	117.28
16	RUN ANGEL RUN	Brandon Lerena *0.0	A -	52.5	9	16	4.80	117.30

HERMAN BROWN ready for Singapore Airlines Cup

 

Record-breaking Gr.1 Dubai Duty Free hero Jay Peg heads a maximum field of 16 for Sunday’s Gr.1 Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji.

The son of Camden Park arrived from Dubai in fine fettle and will be reunited with jockey Anton Marcus, who rode a masterful race in the Duty Free despite suffering a saddle slip during the race. Herman Brown mounts a two-pronged assault on the S$3 million race, with recent acquisition Mourilyan (Desert Prince) making his debut for the stable under Weichong Marwing.

Formely trained by John Oxx, the Aga Khan-bred colt scored successive victories in Dubai this year before a runner-up effort in the Gr.3 Dubai City of Gold . The four-year-old most recently finished unplaced in the Sheema Classic.

Sunday’s opponents include Japan’s Cosmo Bulk, who finished first and second in the last two runnings of the 2000m race and New Zealand’s multiple Gr.1 winner, Sir Slick.